Toy slide

ABSTRACT

A slide which comprises a resilient flexible plastic closed cell foam support with a linear or high density polyethylene film laminated thereto. The linear or high density polyethylene film is the sliding surface.

United States Patent Inventor James C. Coverdale, Jr.

Chadds Ford, Pa. Appl. No. 853,484 Filed Aug. 27, 1969 Patented Sept. 21, 1971 Assignee Haveg Industries, Inc.

Wilmington, Del.

TOY SLIDE 1 Claim, No Drawings U.S.Cl [61/160, l6l/l64, l6l/l65, 161/252, 272/565 Int. Cl B32b 3/12, B32b 7/02, B32b 27/06 Field of Search 161/160,

164,165, 252; 272/565 R, 56.5 SS

Primary Examiner-William J. Van Bulen Attorney-Sheldon F Raizes ABSTRACT: A slide which comprises a resilient flexible plastic closed cell foam support with a linear or high density polyethylene film laminated thereto. The linear or high density polyethylene film is the sliding surface,

TOY SLIDE U.S. Pat. No. 2,982,547 discloses a slide which comprises a plastic film laminated to a foam backing. Plastic films have also been sold as toy slides. However, these films all require application of water to make the surface slick enough to slide thereon. These films have the following drawbacks:

A. The weather has to be warm enough to allow the children playing on the slide to get wet without catching cold.

B. Regular street clothes cannot be used.

C The whole slide must be kept wet since if part of the slide dries, then a person sliding off the wet part onto the dry part will suffer skin burns due to the high coefficient of friction between the skin and the film.

The slide can only he placed where there is access to water.

E. Loose grass or dirt sticks to the slide and therefore the slide must be washed off thoroughly prior to storing.

F. A significant amount of water is wasted.

G. The lawn around the slide becomes saturated resulting in the lawn being easily torn up from the activity of the children playing on the slide.

It is an object of the invention to provide a flexible slide which is safe and can be utilized with or without water.

A further object of this invention is to provide a slide with a cushion backing which protects the sliding surface from ground irregularities and protects a person from being injured due to ground irregularities under the slide.

The slide comprises a plastic foam sheet or backing with a solid film of plastic laminated thereto. The plastic film is high density or linear (specific gravity of at least 0.93) polyethylene. The coefficient of friction of linear polyethylene film is such that a person can slide thereon with bare skin without incurring skin burns.

It is desirable that the slide be flexible enough to be rolled up in a compact package for storing and shipping. If the foam backing is made out of brittle material, then the amount of curvature during bending can cause cracking. Low and high density (branch chain and linear) polyethylene is very flexible and thus a foam backing made from any type of polyethylene is suitable and preferred for this purpose and is tough enough to resist tearing when placed over the ground containing sharp rocks. If the foam back is too thick or of too high a density, the foam backing becomes too stiff for storing in a compact place and due to excessive stiffness, the slide incurs a rolled or curled memory whereby the slide tends to roll back up when it is unrolled. The thickness of the film also contributes to the overall stiffness of the slide. It has been found that a foam backing with a thickness of not greater than about one-half inch and a density of not greater than about 10 pounds per cubic foot and a film which is not greater than about 45 mils thick will result in slide that is flexible enough.

The foam backing is preferably closed cell rather than open cell since the air trapped within the closed cells acts as a more rigid cushion or spring when compared to an open cell foam which collapses more readily and rapidly. F urthcrmore, a closed cell foam is more resistant to wear and tear than an open cell foam. Also, ifsued with water, a closed cell foam will not absorb water while an open cell foam does. Once wet, an open cell foam is extremely hard to dry which is disadvantageous when one wants to store the slide.

It is necessary that the foam backing be thick enough and dense enough to provide protection both to the film and a person sliding on the slide from protuberances on the ground. It has been found that the minimum thickness of the foam backing for this purpose should be substantially one-eighth inch and the minimum density should be substantially 1 pound per cubic foot.

Children using the above-described slide (wet and dry) have jumped and landed on their bare knees, slid down the slide, and tumbled and rolled down the slide without incurring burns or injuries. The closed cell foam backing served as a sufficient cushion and the linear polyethylene provided a fast slide even when dry.

I claim:

1. A toy slide comprising: a polyethylene closed cell foam backing and a polyethylene solid film of a specific gravity of at least 0.93 laminated to one surface of said foam backing, said film being the sliding surface of said slide, said foam backing having a density substantially between l lb./ft. and 10 lbs/ft. and a thickness substantially between onecighth inch to onehalfinch, said film being no greater than about 45 mils thick. 

